Royal Flycatcher

Onychorhynchus coronatus

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyTyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
GenusOnychorhynchus (Royal Flycatchers)
SpeciesOnychorhynchus coronatus (Royal Flycatcher)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Tortuguero National Park

4 Verified sightings at Tortuguero National Park From 2019 to 2026

3,786 Verified sightings across all 43 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Royal Flycatcher

The tropical royal flycatcher (Onychorhynchus coronatus) is a passerine bird that most taxonomic systems place in family Onychorhynchidae. It is found in Mexico, south through most of Central America, and in every mainland South American country except Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

The tropical royal flycatcher was formally described in 1776 by the German zoologist Philipp Statius Müller under the binomial name Muscicapa coronata. Müller based his account on a hand-colored illustration of the "Tyran hupé de Cayenne" that had been engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet. The specific epithet is from Latin coronatus meaning "crowned". The tropical royal flycatcher is now placed together with Atlantic royal flycatcher in the genus Onychorhynchus that was introduced in 1810 by the German naturalist Gotthelf Fischer von Waldheim.

After a complicated history (which see here), the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) and the Clements taxonomy placed the tropical royal flycatcher and the Atlantic royal flycatcher (O. swainsoni) in family Onychorhynchidae.

However, the tropical royal flycatcher's taxonomy remains unsettled. The North and South American Classification... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Tortuguero National Park

Pitangus sulphuratus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Tyrannus melancholicus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Myiozetetes similis

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Todirostrum cinereum

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Megarynchus pitangua

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Attila spadiceus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Contopus virens

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Zimmerius vilissimus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Myiarchus crinitus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Myiozetetes granadensis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Ornithion brunneicapillus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Tyrannus tyrannus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~30%
2	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
3	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
4	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
5	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
6	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
7	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
8	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
9	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
10	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
11	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	~10%
12	Madidi National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	<5%
13	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
14	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
15	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
16	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
17	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
18	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
19	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
20	Itatiaia National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
21	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
22	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
23	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
24	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
25	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
26	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
27	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
28	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
29	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
30	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
31	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	Insufficient data
32	Brownsberg Nature Park	🇸🇷 Suriname	Insufficient data
33	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
34	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
35	Cordillera Azul National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	Insufficient data
36	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
37	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
38	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
39	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
40	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
41	Tijuca National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
42	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
43	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data

← Back to Tortuguero National Park

Royal Flycatcher

About the Royal Flycatcher

Recent sightings of Royal Flycatcher in Tortuguero National Park

Closest Relatives at Tortuguero National Park

Great Kiskadee

Tropical Kingbird

Social Flycatcher

Common Tody-Flycatcher

Boat-billed Flycatcher

Bright-rumped Attila

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Guatemalan Paltry Tyrannulet

Great Crested Flycatcher

Gray-capped Flycatcher

Brown-capped Tyrannulet

Eastern Kingbird

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found